


Refuge in Audacity

by Intent_To_Stay



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon Compliant, Crack Treated Seriously, Gen, Political Plays, The Professor gives a trick question
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:35:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21555607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Intent_To_Stay/pseuds/Intent_To_Stay
Summary: The Third Hokage takes one look at a nightmare of a security leak and the world's most obvious choice for a host and decides that he must do everything in his power to ensure Naruto's safety. He succeeds more than most.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 174





	Refuge in Audacity

In the turmoil that characterize the fallout of the kyuubi attack, Sarutobi knew he had a duty to his village and to his student. He stared at Minato's son with a profound sense of grief. A vulnerable container and a precious heirloom. One who's identity had been leaked already. Not to everyone, but spies had already been intercepted. There would be wolves at the door in a matter of days. Naruto would require constant watching. He would never be able to safely leave the village. He would never know peace as an eternal target.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had a duty. To his student's legacy and to his village's safety. And thus he would take that duty seriously. 

\--

Across the elemental nations, every active Kage stared at same sheet basic of information: A blond, yondaime look-alike, with the previous jinchuriki’s last name, born on the day of the attack, with every citizen Kohona absolutely sure that it was the nine tailed fox. And a public law that forbid people to share information about the jinchuriki. Countless confirmations that the child had no supervision. That he didn't even have instructors.

“Is this supposed to fool us?” the raikage snarled, putting his fist through his desk. “The audacity of leaf shinobi!”

“That smug bastard,” The kazekage noted. He dismissed the report with an errant wave of his hand, filing it away with golden dust. “If they intended to use a random orphan as a red herring, they could have at least made it more convincing. No training? No supervision?” He scoffed again. He would need to look further into the true identity of the leaf’s jinchuriki.

“As if they would shout their ultimate weapon to an enemy nation.” The leader of Iwa grumbled, annoyed by the blatant farce. He sighed and noted that they would need to collect further reconnaissance. “It fools no one, but they have concealed the actual jinchuriki masterfully.”

\--

Pain stared at Orochimaru. “Your teacher is quite ruthless. A sacrificial lamb?”

“Indeed. He has not revealed the true identity even to me.” Orochimaru smirked. “Although, he is getting negligent in his old age. What is the point of a sacrificial lamb if no one wants to slaughter it?”

\--

And years later, when Itachi became the newest member of the Akatsuki, he was prepared with several dozen reasons to cast doubt on the identity of the Kyuubi’s jinchuriki. As a leaf shinobi, he had a duty to protect Kohona so long as it would not compromise his position. “I have reason to believe that Uzumaki Naruto is not--”

“We already fucking know that,” Hidan interrupted. “But Kazuku here might as well be jacking off for all we know about the real one.”

Itachi blinked.

Konan sighed, and explained, “Kohona has fooled every villager. Even today, there is no whisper about the true identity of the Kyuubi’s container. The Professor has been masterful in his deception. Take no shame in taking so long to notice.”

Itachi nodded along and threw out all his plans.

\--

When Sarutobi Hiruzen waltzed into hell, it was with the smuggest of grins that he faced his previous pupil. “Thirteen years,” he crowed, “and no one suspected a thing.”

Minato Namikaze took a single moment to acknowledge that his son was probably the safest Jinchuriki on the planet before he began ripping his teacher limb from limb.

**Author's Note:**

> hot take but everyone in the fandom complaining about how poorly Naruto's status as a jinchuriki was concealed needs to consider the most hilarious watsonian explanation.


End file.
